📋 Tender Overview
Description
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
Background. In September 2019, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved the Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Project (the ongoing project), which adopts a sector approach for developing sustainable, inclusive, and climate resilient water supply and improved sanitation in the greater Honiara area (GHA) and in five other towns of Auki, Gizo, Munda, Noro, and Tulagi in Solomon Islands. The ADB financing comprises a (i) concessional loan of $28.00 million from ADB's ordinary capital resources, and (ii) a grant not exceeding $9.00 million from ADB's Special Fund resources (Asian Development Fund). The ongoing project is cofinanced through a European Union (EU) grant of
18.00 million ($20.35 million equivalent), administered by ADB; a World Bank concessional loan of $15.00 million. The ADB and World Bank financing were declared effective in April 2020. In September 2021, ADB approved an additional financing grant of $4.59 million, sourced from Global Environment Facility (GEF) and administered by ADB. In December 2023, a second additional financing of $15.00 million from World Bank was approved. The ongoing project closing date is 31 December 2028. The executing agency is the Ministry of Finance and Treasury and the implementing agency is the Solomon Islands Water Authority (SIWA). The ongoing project outputs include: (i) continuous, safe, and climate resilient urban water supply ensured; (ii) urban sanitation services are effective, efficient, and safe in GHA; (iii) enhanced and sustained awareness and behaviors of hygiene and water conservation in GHA and five towns; (iv) SIWA is financially and technically sustainable; and (v) management of Honiara's drinking water source area strengthened to build resilience to climate change.
Performance of the Ongoing Project. Progress towards achieving the ongoing project outcome, following the outcome level indicators, is summarized below:
Water supply coverage: Strong progress has been made towards achieving the water supply coverage target of 16,500 households, with 16,186 households connected at the end of August 2023.
Nonrevenue water (NRW) reduction: Progress towards reducing NRW in Honiara to 30% by 2027 is off track. Average monthly NRW has marginally decreased from the 2019 baseline value of 62% to 61% in August 2023.
Sewerage coverage: Increasing SIWA's sewerage coverage to 4,000 households is off track as the project's Honiara sewer expansion subproject has yet to go to market for bidding. As of August 2023, only 661 households were connected to SIWA's sewerage networks.
On-site sanitation management: Progress towards achieving the target of 14,000 households in greater Honiara benefiting from improved onsite sanitation policies is on track following preparation of the draft GHA Comprehensive Sanitation Plan 20222026.
Water quality in Honiara: The water quality compliance target for sewage disc
